Q1213: What is the verdict on sacrificing a sheep? What are the responsibilities to be undertaken by the parents in this regard?

A: It is recommended and emphasized to offer a sacrifice for one's offspring so much so that even if an old person learns that their parents have not offered a sacrifice for them, they can offer it themselves; What is central to this recommended act, is the slaughtering of a sheep whose meat the child's parents and also the other dependents of the parents should not eat and it is viewed as legally disapproved act; they should recite the especial prayer and give the meat to the believers.

Q1214: What is the especial prayer for Aquiqah?

A: As quoted by Ammar from His Holiness Imam Sadiq (PBUH), one should, at the time of slaughtering the sheep recite, “ya qowmi innee baree un mimma tushrikun, innee wajjahtu wajhiya lelladhee fataras-samawati wal ardhi hanifan musliman wa ma ana minal mushrikeena inna salatee wa nusukee wa mahyaya wa mamatee lellahi rabbil alameena la sharika lahu wa bidhalika umirtu wa ana minal muslimeena allahumma minka wa laka bismillahi wa billahi; wallahu akbaru allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad wa taquabbal min folan ibni folan”, and they should say the name of the child instead of “folan ibni folan”. There is also another tradition which recommends this prayer to be recited: “Bismillahi wa billahi allhumma aquiqatun an folan (instead of folan, the name of the child must be said here), lahmuha bilahmihee wa damuha bidamihee wa adhmuha bi adhmihee allahummaj-alha wiqua'an li Ali Muhammadin sallallahu alayhi wa alayhim”; after reciting these prayers, one should slaughter the sheep.

Q1215: How should the meat of Aquiqah be consumed? Some people believe that the bones and hide of the animal should be put in a bag and buried somewhere? Is this not wasting the property and illegal per se?

A: Having slaughtered the Aquiqah, it suffices to give its cooked or uncooked meat to the believers, or to serve the meat in religious ceremonies, and it is recommended to give one of its legs to the midwife who has helped the woman to give birth to the child; it would be better not to break the bones before they are cooked; there is no justification for putting the bones and the hide in a bag and burying the bag somewhere, and it is accounted as wasting the property and thus it is deemed illegal; it is even not approved to bury the bones in terms of a recommended act.